


Cliff's Edge

by LionessRinoaVIII



Series: Resident Evil Cleon Collection [3]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cleon, F/M, Game: Resident Evil 2, Happy Ending, Hurt Leon S. Kennedy, I Stretched Out Resident Evil 3’s Events, Minor Leon S. Kennedy/Ada Wong, Oblivious Leon S. Kennedy, Parent Claire Redfield, Parent Leon S. Kennedy, Post-Resident Evil 1 Remake, Post-Resident Evil 2, Pregnant Sex, Raccoon City (Resident Evil), Sad Leon S. Kennedy, Set During RE3, Shady Ada is Shady, So Married, The Minor Aeon Does Not Involve Cheating I Promise, Umbrella is Shadier, Unplanned Pregnancy, Valeveira, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:15:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LionessRinoaVIII/pseuds/LionessRinoaVIII
Summary: Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy had a one night stand that night in the police station. Eight weeks later, Claire finds out she's expecting their first child, and much to her surprise, Leon is excited. As they get to know one another, a deep love grows between them. However, Umbrella is nowhere near finished with the Kennedy's, and that new baby just might hold the key that could unravel the world.
Relationships: Carlos Oliveira/Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy/Claire Redfield
Series: Resident Evil Cleon Collection [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934083
Comments: 33
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Xadrea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xadrea/gifts).



It was different, being in Leon’s apartment. The once cramped but familiar dormitory walls of Missouri State University had given way to a larger but almost barren apartment several miles out of Springfield and into the smaller city surrounding the Raccoon Forest. It was more space, but less homey, and the disarray of odds and ends belongings had Claire Redfield wondering what on earth her new boyfriend had been doing before she’d come into his life. Leon’s bed was an air mattress in a corner of his room covered in a quilt, and most of his clothes littered the floor. Leon Kennedy was a very clean, well put together man on the outside, but his living space was a bachelor pad if she had ever seen one.

The clutter was less annoying to Claire and more amusing, especially because Leon was so embarrassed that she had seen it. But Claire living as a college student just couldn’t happen anymore, Leon _needed_ her to be near him, always. She was, after all, carrying his child. That meant changes, and he was more than willing to reconstruct his home into something suitable for a girlfriend and two children. Claire was an early riser, but Leon and Sherry definitely were _not,_ and Claire tucked them both in and pressed kisses to their foreheads as she tore herself groggily from the air mattress. She had work to do.

Claire arched her back and stretched, letting out a small yawn as she ran her fingers through her auburn tangles. She turned to take one final peek at Leon, who was snuggling Sherry as she slept like a rock on top of his chest. Her smile was warm, and her heart was so full as she shut the door behind her and ambled to the kitchen table. He was going to be an amazing father. She dug around in one of her bags for her laptop and pressed the power button. The machine whirred to life, and Claire put a hand gently against her still flat midsection. _What in the world are we going to say, little one?_

The night she and Leon had spent together inside the RPD…it had solidified many things for Claire that she’d never dreamed of before embarking on a journey to find her brother. Beyond her newfound relationship, Claire couldn’t get what happened out of her mind. So much senseless bloodshed. There was no way in hell she was just moving on with her life. Umbrella was going to pay for what was happening in this city. She clicked into her email and typed in the address that Leon had given her. Chris had refused to help her contact any former members of STARS, in an attempt at keeping her out of harms way. Leon on the other hand had accepted that Claire was her own person, and if there were things she felt she needed to know, she had the right to. Chris hadn’t been through what they had together.

Thing was, Claire had never spoken to Jill Valentine a day in her life. She had no idea how to approach her. Dear Ms. Valentine sounded awfully formal for someone whose brother had worked so closely with her. Yet, Hey Jill didn’t could right to Claire either. She frowned and thought back to her baby. _How would_ you _write it?_

Dear Jill,

Hey! This is Claire, Chris’s sister. I hope you’re doing well out in Europe, Chris told me most everyone left in STARS stayed out there. Chris only came back after receiving word from Leon that the police chief was gone, and there was no one here to help dig the RPD out of the hole that its in. There weren’t any survivors by the time he and I made it out. I guess you already know that. What I’m reaching out to you about in regards to Raccoon City is actually more about what you experienced in the Spencer Mansion back in July. Chris doesn’t like to talk about it, but I know you saved my brother, and I know the atrocities committed there are directly related to the G-virus and this outbreak. If there is any information you can give to me, or if you could at least point me in the right direction as far as finding a solution for our city, I would greatly appreciate it. Raccoon City’s water supply is contaminated with this virus…and please don’t disclose this to Chris, but I don’t want to bring a baby into an environment where we can’t safely drink anything but Cola.

Best regards,

Claire.

Claire wasn’t sure how that sounded, but it was her best and only shot right now. Her maternal instincts were already kicking in, and every bone in her body wanted to fix this for her child. Leon’s whole livelihood was here, they couldn’t just leave. Besides, that wouldn’t be right. Chris had always taught her never to run away from her problems. If she was able to help people who wouldn’t help themselves, it was her responsibility to do so. She was deep in these thoughts when a pair of large hands suddenly slid around her midsection. “How are my baby and my baby’s baby this morning?”

Leon pressed a gentle kiss to the crook of Claire’s neck and sauntered over to the refrigerator to grab the carton of orange juice and bring it to his lips. They were in the middle of a pandemic and he was drinking straight from the carton. She couldn’t help but chuckle and shake her head at him. “We’re better now that you’re awake. Did you sleep well?”

“I always sleep well now that you’re here.” He admitted with a cheesy smile. Claire probably thought he was being a flirt, but he was telling the truth. Leon had been struggling with depression for longer than he cared to admit, and it helped so much more than Claire realized to have her and Sherry nearby. Leon was finally learning how to be happy. They had moved in about a week ago, and he knew he hadn’t known her long enough to say so, but he was falling in love with Claire hard.

He could feel her eyes on him, and he smirked at her as she chewed on her bottom lip. Even with his hair a matted sleepy mess Leon was the most attractive man she had ever seen. His broad chest was shirtless, and she admired the three little moles she spotted on his neck. They were usually hidden by his work uniform, but he didn’t have anything to do today. Today Leon S. Kennedy got to play house, and he was just as excited as she was. She wanted a kiss and she beckoned to him with a slender finger. “Come here.”

How could he say no to that? Leon shot her a toothy grin and sat the orange juice back in the fridge. “Yes ma’am.” He grabbed for the legs of the chair she was planted in and jerked it toward him with a force that caught her off guard. She let out a hushed giggle, frightened that she’d wake Sherry, and playfully slapped Leon across his chest as he captured her lips. His mouth was soft against her own, and she groaned as his tongue rolled against her own. “I’m really happy that we met.”

“I’m happy I met you too.”

Leon smirked. “Even though I drink from the orange juice container like an animal?”

Claire gasped in mock surprise. “You do? No, I didn’t see that, not my Leon.”

He liked the sound of being _her_ Leon and he practically purred at her. He was in the mood, and he was about to suggest they get sneaky and take this out into the car when Claire’s laptop dinged to alert her that she had mail. “Oh, is that from Jill?”

Claire hoped so. She turned the screen to where they could both take a look and clicked on the new bolded email sitting at the top of her inbox. It _was_ from Jill, and Claire’s heart leapt into her throat. She hadn’t expected a response so quickly.

Dear Claire,

It’s lovely to meet you, Chris talks about you all the time. I can more than understand your concern, and our operations here in Europe are classified, but I _can_ tell you I am doing my absolute best to get to the bottom of all this. Raccoon City isn’t the only city suffering; Umbrella is a large corporation. I don’t have much time to talk, but I feel like I need to make something clear. You asked about the Spencer Mansion. It’s not safe to speak about it like this, but I sent Chris a text and asked him to drop something off at your apartment of mine. It’s a journal. There is nothing that happened at that house that I didn’t thoroughly document, and I’m glad that I did. All our evidence exploded with the laboratory. I hope the journal sheds some light on what’s happening, and I feel like I need to apologize, I didn’t realize you were expecting. Does Chris not know? Regardless, if that’s the case, please listen to me. I want you to get as far from Raccoon City as you can while you’re still able. Can you even take a bath without boiling the water first? It’s no place for a newborn.

Good luck,

Jill

Leon’s lips curled into a slight frown and his hands fluttered around Claire’s stomach protectively. It’s no place for a newborn. Leon would see about that. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep this child safe. He wondered if it would be better to send them away, but there was no way he could protect them if he did that, and Jill had said herself that Raccoon City wasn’t the only city afflicted with the virus. Being separated was _not_ an option. Claire noticed the worry that creased his forehead, and she wrapped her arms around him tight. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t like this. How am I supposed to protect you from something I can’t control?” His voice cracked as he spoke, and Claire pressed a tender kiss to his temple.

“Leon, I don’t expect you to. I can take care of myself. I promise.” She whispered. He knew that was true, he’d seen Claire in action. But this baby…it threw a wrench in things. If they lost it, he wasn’t sure he’d survive. He’d known he was going to be a father just one week and he was already attached enough to take a bullet for the child. It wasn’t even something he’d thought he wanted until he knew it existed.

He didn’t want to think about _anything_ happening to this tiny family they were starting, and he shook his head as if to clear it. “I know you can. But I’m going to protect you anyway. I…” _I love you._ He bit his tongue and looked away, unsure of how to express what he was trying to convey. His last relationship had ended so terribly, and he’d been made to believe it was entirely his fault. He wasn’t about to jeopardize this one.

It was as if Claire could read his mind, and she leaned in to gently nibble on his neck. “I really care about you. I’m not going to leave. You’re stuck with me, Kennedy.” Stuck wasn’t the word he would have used. He was blessed to have her. He wasn’t even sure she was technically his girlfriend yet, but that was desperately what he wanted.

“Oh, we’re going to dinner tonight.” He promised with a small smirk, practically tackling her as he pulled her closer to his chest and crushed his lips back against her own. She yelped in surprise, but quickly melted against his touch. She’d been living with him for a week and he still gave her butterflies every time she stole a glance in his direction. He wanted to ravage her, and he reached up her shirt to unclasp her bra as he continued his tender assault on her mouth. “You’re stuck with me too.” 


	2. Chapter 2

“So, you’re saying you lied?” Claire asked slowly, attempting to wrap her mind around the words coming from her older brother’s mouth. She was already uncomfortable as it was. She and Leon had fooled around before there had been a knock on the door, and she knew better than to hope that the two of them didn’t have sex hair. She was never going to hear the end of it. And now here Chris was, sitting in their living room…if you could even call it that, rambling about having lied to her face. Leon had a beat-up couch and a tiny night stand with a succulent on it in the center of the room, and that was it.

Chris shifted uncomfortably and fidgeted with what looked like a leather-bound diary. She assumed that was the journal Jill had mentioned in her email. His eyes were glued to her midsection, and he looked up every now and again to give Leon a death glare. He hadn’t taken news of the pregnancy very well. Nor the speedy move from her college dorm to her one-night-stand’s sparse apartment. “Listen, I’m sorry. Yes, I lied, but it was for your own good. I didn’t want you out here in this mess, you were supposed to stay put at your fancy college and learn things. You weren’t supposed to be like me.”

Claire threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and Leon placed a comforting hand to the small of her back. “That’s what I don’t understand, Chris. You’re the one who taught me how to fight, you taught me everything you knew.”

“Yeah, so you could defend yourself, Sis, not so you could chase zombies in a dilapidated police station and get yourself knocked up. You could have died, what the hell were you thinking?” Claire’s face was turning scarlet and Leon didn’t think it was good for the baby. His arms were woven gently around her middle and he rubbed small soothing circles into her skin.

“Can we please focus? We weren’t talking about the police station, we were talking about Europe.”

Chris looked like he wanted to smart off at Leon, but he noticed the delicate way he was holding on to her stomach, and he thought better of it. Maybe the rookie really did love her. He sighed. “Yes, okay, I lied about Europe and yes Jill covered for me. I _did_ go to Europe, but not with the other STARS. Some other members were supposed to come with me but they never made it, Jill included. I just didn’t want you mixed up in what they’re doing out there. Claire…STARS are being picked off, slowly but surely. Last I heard from Jill, something was chasing them. I haven’t experienced it yet, but I haven’t been back in RC long. It’s probably a matter of time before Umbrella sends someone after me, too.”

“Well. That explains why your note I found at the police station made it seem like Jill wasn’t with you.” Claire wouldn’t look at her brother. He had never lied to her before, they didn’t do things like that to each other. “So what, now some monster is going to be sent to kill you because Leon and I dragged you back here, is that what I’m hearing?” Tears were rolling hot and fast down her round cheeks, and it was awkward. She didn’t want Leon to see her like this, but she supposed it was unavoidable. She was pregnant, and her hormones were out of balance.

Chris’s eyes softened and shared a hard look with Leon for a beat or two. Leon wanted him to go, he could tell, Claire was getting worked up and it wasn’t going is little niece or nephew any good. Whatever Umbrella was or wasn’t going to do to him was speculation at this point and out of their hands. “Listen Sis, I ain’t trying to hurt you. I just want you safe, and I’m sure Rookie over here feels the same way. Don’t worry about me. The important thing is taking care of this baby and getting out of this hell hole. Take the journal. It might help you understand some things that I’d rather not relive.”

Claire sniffled, but she knew he was right. “His name is Leon.” She managed a small smile and Chris rolled his eyes. A giant smirk stretched across his face and he clapped a hand down on Leon’s shoulder. “She really does like you, huh? Don’t fuck it up.”

Leon forced a laugh. He was uncomfortable, and he didn’t really know what to say. “So that’s it then? Whatever you were chasing in Europe you’re just going to give up in order to help me fix this mess at the RPD?”

Chris seemed a little hesitant to answer that question. Leon seemed like a good kid, but this was a little above his pay grade. “About that…listen, I appreciate you wanting to rebuild here. I do. I came back to pick up the pieces as best I can and lay our people to rest, but after that? I _have_ to follow up on that lead. I have to go back. I’m on to something big. You two should both think about getting the hell out of dodge.”

“If this is about taking down Umbrella I want in.”

Chris snorted. “And leave my pregnant sister here to rot? I don’t think so.”

Leon’s jaw set hard and his grip on Claire tightened. “I wouldn’t leave my family here. They would come with us.” That seemed pretty self-explanatory to Leon. Claire could take care of herself, and Sherry was pretty resilient too, but if Leon was leaving Raccoon City they were coming with him. The city was sick, he wasn’t abandoning anyone he cared about to suffer there alone.

Claire seemed to brighten at the thought of being Leon’s family, and she squeezed his hand gently. It was like he could feel a layer of sadness come off her and he couldn’t help but smile. He pressed a tender kiss to the crook of her neck, and she cut her brother off before he could make a remark about it. “How about we take a look at the journal tonight and we can all regroup and decide where to go from here after we’ve had time to digest it all?”

“Claire, that child deserves stability. That’s all I’m saying. I think you’ll change your mind about going anywhere near Umbrella with those kids once you read that thing. Especially Sherry, after everything she’s been through.” Chris said softly, gesturing toward the book. “But I’ll get out of your hair. I’ve bothered you love birds enough for one morning.”

Chris left them with a lot to think about, and they were deep into reading the journal when Sherry got up to go to school. Claire thought it was ridiculous that they would call school off at the drop of one snow flake, but half the city was crawling in zombies and the kids still had to go. Sherry didn’t complain, she had her hair up in a small bun and was in her uniform ready to go when the bus pulled up. Claire’s forehead knit with worry and she pulled herself from her reading to intercept the child at the door. “Hey…Sherry? You know…Leon and I aren’t gonna make you go, if you don’t want to.”

Sherry smiled real big and pressed her hands flat against Claire’s stomach. “I wanna go. Someone has to teach the baby things like reading and colors and math.” There was an excitement and wonder in Sherry’s bright blue eyes that touched Claire’s heart, and Leon called to her from his spot on the couch.

“Let her go. If she runs into trouble, she knows we have her back.” He offered both his girls a small smirk and Claire sighed. She was hopelessly in love with that boyish grin, and he knew it.

She pressed a small kiss to Sherry’s cheek and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Okay. Go have fun, and please be safe.” Sherry nodded and ran out the door, and Claire couldn’t put her finger on why her heart skipped a beat as she watched the little girl disappear with her classmates down the lonely street. Was this what being a mom felt like? The worry gnawed at her every time she left in the mornings. She watched out the screen door for several moments, and she could feel Leon’s eyes on her. She could almost sense that smile.

“Come back, I’m cold.” She turned to look at him, and Leon was patting his lap as he tugged on the blanket that had been draped over the back of the couch. “Besides, I found a passage I think you’re going to want to see. It mentions the G-virus.”

Claire’s lips twitched up into a coy smile and she put her hands on her hips. “You don’t need to tease me with the G-virus to get snuggles. I offer them freely.”

Leon wiggled his eyebrows at her. “The come get them.” He puffed his bottom lip out. “Please?”

Claire didn’t need to be told twice. She grabbed for the landline and hopped into Leon’s lap, snuggling against his chest as he pulled the blanket around them. “Are you hungry? I’m thinking of ordering pizza.”

It was still pretty early in the morning, but if the baby wanted pizza, pizza is what they would have. He shrugged. “Order whatever you want. Anything. It’s on me from here on out.” He was sweet, but Claire had money and she was paying for it herself. She’d just let him think it was on him.

“What does the passage say?” Claire asked, sticking her cold bare feet underneath Leon’s legs for warmth. He shuddered at the sudden sensation and chuckled under his breath as he worked to make sure every part of her was warm. He cleared his throat and read aloud from the long paragraph of Jill’s cursive writing.

“During my time in the Spencer Mansion I have found many horrible notes and pictures leaving mere traces of the lives of those who were misfortunate enough to have resided here, however briefly. Nothing has been worse, however, than the things I have discovered about Lisa Trevor. From what I understand, a Dr. William Birkin helped Umbrella torture the little girl, who showed a unique mutation when exposed to several strands of the T-virus. Birkin injected her with some sort of parasite, but her body absorbed it and created a new strand, which they have extracted to create something noted as the G-virus. I don’t know what that is or how it differs from what I’m seeing here, but I found that little girl…and what they’ve done to her is…let’s just say, when I get my hands on Wesker, it isn’t going to be pretty. Something tells me the bastard isn’t dead. People never are anymore.”

There was an uncomfortable silence that fell between them, and neither really knew what to make of that. It was hard to fathom, loving Sherry as they did, that her father would endanger another little girl with something so sick. William and Annette were the worst sort of people, and yet Sherry was an angel. She deserved so much more than what life had dealt her. They had all witnessed the horror of G. Claire wasn’t sure exactly what the T-virus was in comparison, but she assumed it had to do with the outbreak the western half of the city was experiencing. “Who is Wesker?” She asked gently, stunned into a contemplative silence.

“I dunno. The name sounds familiar. I’m betting he’s STARS, with the way she was talking. That last bit sounded personal.” Claire continued to order her pizza, numbly, and she chewed on her lip as Leon asked aloud what they were both thinking. “Where…are we going from here? Do you think Raccoon City is worth saving?” His voice was soft, almost heartbroken, and she shook her head.

“There isn’t a person alive that isn’t worth saving.”


	3. Chapter 3

It was hard for Jill, being dishonest with Claire. She hadn’t outright lied, but she had omitted the truth, and that made her feel just as guilty. Chris would have had his sister believing she and the other STARS were in Europe, but the truth was far less pleasant. Jill had spent the last eight weeks holed up in Raccoon City’s UBCS base of operations. Not even Chris knew she was working closely with the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service. He…would have hated her for it, and rightly so, after all the trauma they’d experienced at the hands of Umbrella in the Spencer Mansion.

Even so, she trusted Carlos. The pair had kept one another alive for what had been a grueling two months after Nemesis had decimated her apartment. Brad was dead now, along with Lieutenant Branagh and what had remained of the RPD. The western half of Raccoon City was ninety percent infected, and Jill was sure the outskirts to the east where Claire and Leon were living with Sherry would be completely swallowed too, before long. She couldn’t imagine being pregnant while the city was swept with disease, and she prayed Claire took her advice. They needed to get out.

It wouldn’t be long before Nemesis found the base, Jill was surprised it had taken as long as it had. But for right this moment, being with Carlos took the edge off. They had been doing everything in their power to slowly evacuate civilians, and Jill had finally come around to the idea that this particular branch of Umbrella was oblivious to the fact that they were a cover. They had no idea, beyond her own ramblings, that they were cleaning up a mess caused by the very people who employed them. They were nothing but covered tracks and meat shields to Umbrella.

In spite of her own pessimism for what he did, Carlos had really taken to her, and he was looking at her from over his tea with a gentle smile. In his mad scramble to cure her of the T-virus, he’d learned the truth about who he worked for, though he’d kept it between him and Jill. The others didn’t need to know yet. They were working for a cause they believed in, and with Jill’s help, they had smuggled so many families out of the city. Their lives were worth everything. When the people were out and safe? He and Jill would destroy Umbrella from the bottom up. He believed that with all his heart.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Jill finally asked, breaking his concentration as he shook the thoughts from his mind and smirked at her.

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “How beautiful you are.”

Jill rolled her eyes. “I call bullshit.” Even still, a slight rosy blush tinted her cheeks, and it didn’t go unnoticed by the solider. She was quietly admiring his soft black curls and he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world. It made her feel…strange. It wasn’t the same hungry look that Chris had in his eyes when he was with her. It was gentle. Chaste. It made her want to be around him forever.

“Call it like you see it, Supercop. Doesn’t make you right.” His grin was lopsided, and she wanted to smack it off him as she fought to maintain a stony expression. They were gearing up for a larger rescue today, and she needed to have her mind clear of any distractions. Carlos and the feelings he stirred inside of her were a major one. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, avoiding his big brown doe eyes as she strapped a shotgun to her back.

“I don’t have time for this. Meet me outside of Kendo in an hour.”

Jill turned on her heel to march toward the door, but Carlos’s muscular arms reigned her back in. He pulled her tight against his chest and she struggled to shove him back half-heartedly. “We don’t have to be strictly business, you know. You can take a moment to breathe.” As much as she wanted that to be true, her sense of duty wouldn’t allow it. She had been planning since September to escape the city, but now that she’d seen everything that was happening to these families…she couldn’t leave without them. She had to save as many people as she could before she got the hell out of dodge.

“The longer I’m at rest the more innocent people get infected that I could have saved.”

Carlos shook his head. “You can’t think about it like that. You’re no use to anyone physically and mentally exhausted. When is the last time you really slept? You toss and turn all night.” Carlos had been worried about her for longer than he cared to admit, and he ran his fingers gently through her short brunette hair. “Even STARS need to take care of themselves sometimes.”

She _was_ exhausted, that much was true, but she also couldn’t shake the feeling that this was somehow her responsibility. After everything she’d seen in the mansion…it was like she was fated to put an end to this mess. She survived for a reason. She was so sure of it. “There is more of that cure you gave me somewhere. We need to find it before someone else does.”

Carlos frowned. He hated it when she completely ignored everything he said. It happened semi-frequently. Once Jill made up her mind about something, it took an act of congress to unmake it. “Someone like Nicholai?”

Jill nodded. “Nicholai exactly. Nemesis is still out there. If Chris is really back in RC, we have to take that thing down. I won’t lose him too.”

A mild jealousy spread throughout his body, though Carlos wouldn’t dare admit it. It was always Chris this, and Chris that. The world didn’t stop and end with Chris Redfield. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “So…what’s the story with him? You two must be pretty close.”

Meanwhile, Claire and Leon had read every sickening line in Jill’s journal, and they were now polishing off the pepperoni pizza they had ordered. It was comfort eating at its finest. What happened at the Spencer Mansion was bone chilling, and it left them with more questions than it had answered. Leon was stretched out on his back on the couch, and Claire was curled up with her head resting against the beat of his heart. He ran his fingers gently along her spine and kissed the top of her head. She had fallen asleep just a few moments prior, pizza in hand, and he was glad to see her getting some rest. He was sure making a whole new person was exhausting.

With Claire asleep and Sherry at school, Leon had a moment to collect his thoughts. Everything was so crazy now. It had just been back in September when his last girlfriend ripped his heart from his chest, right before he made his journey into the city. Now it was November, and he had somehow managed to come out of the scariest two months of his life a father. He was stressed and he was terrified, but at the same time he couldn’t remember a time where he had ever been this happy.

They hadn’t had much time to talk about it, but Leon’s past was troubled. Most people wouldn’t have guessed it, but he’d had a very private battle with depression most of his life. His parents had been well off, but his younger sister had committed suicide when they were teenagers and the family had been completely fractured after that. His father’s alcoholism spiraled, and he eventually drove himself and Leon’s mother over a bridge on Victoria’s birthday, a few days short of Christmas. It was a large part of the reason Leon had chosen a police department outside of his hometown when he had finally graduated from the academy. He had a bit of a drinking problem himself, and the last thing he wanted to do was to end up like his father. He had needed a fresh start.

_This is it._ He thought to himself. _Claire and this baby are that start._ He pressed his hands delicately to Claire’s abdomen and a tear rolled down his cheek. “I will never hurt you or your mother the way Dad hurt me.” He whispered, silently vowing to pour the rest of the alcohol in the house down the drain. Victoria and their parents had been dead going on seven years now. It was time to let it go.

Claire stirred in his arms, and he swore under his breath when her eyes began to flutter. He didn’t want her to see him like this. Their relationship was still in its infancy; he wanted her to think he was strong. He wanted her to think her baby’s father was put together and stable. He blinked the tears away quicker than they had come and he grinned at her as she gently rubbed her eyes. “How long was I asleep?”

“Not long. You don’t have to get up if you don’t want. I’ll hold you.” He promised.

That was sweet, but she didn’t need to sleep all day. She sat up and reached for her phone. It was wedged in her back pocket and two harsh vibration alerts had been what roused her from sleep. She groggily thumbed through her text messages and a small frown tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Hm.”

Leon rolled to pull himself to his feet and grab something to drink from the fridge. His mouth still tasted like pizza. “What is it? What’s wrong?” Claire almost didn’t want to tell him, but she also wanted their relationship to be built on the truth. She didn’t ever want to hide things from one another.

“It was a text from Melanie, my best friend. She was letting me know that a few of our teachers have reached out to her regarding my grades. I’m failing most of my classes right now.” She expected to see judgement dance behind his eyes, but it never did. He looked more curious than anything else and he ran his fingers through her auburn hair as he offered a reassuring smile.

That didn’t sit right with Leon. He failed to see how that was anyone’s business but Claire’s. She was under a lot of stress right now, and she just found out she was going to be a mom. He thought that was a little more important than a few courses. “How was that information their right to pass along?”

Claire was touched, but she laughed. “Well, they’re just a little concerned is all. They know Mel and I are close, and I haven’t been to class in a week for them to talk to me directly. I think I’m gonna…do you think it would be okay if I just dropped out?”

Leon crossed his arms and raised any eyebrow. “That’s not my decision to make. But it doesn’t sound like you. The Claire I know isn’t a quitter.” He tilted her chin to look at him, and his baby blue eyes were so soft that her heart clenched inside her chest. “Talk to me.”

He was worried, and Claire shook her head at him. He didn’t need to be. It wasn’t about him or the baby or even Sherry, even though spending more time with Sherry would have been a huge plus to dropping out. It was more about Umbrella and a desire to have the time to get to the bottom of things. There was so much she wanted to know, and she wanted so badly to be out there helping these people. What was happening outside was frightening and underhanded and dirty. Someone had to bring Umbrella to their knees. “I don’t think I’m cut out for it.” She admitted. “It’s a little…tamer than what my heart is set on.” 


	4. Chapter 4

It was dark. The kind of dark that swallowed and snuffed from the world every life that it touched. Heavy and ragged breathing permeated the still air and Leon Kennedy had to count to twenty to calm the rapid stomping of his heart. He didn’t used to freeze up like this, but he was going to be a father now. He suddenly had everything in the world to lose. A few weeks had passed since Claire had moved into his studio apartment in the heart of the city. A few weeks is all it had taken. Raccoon City was unrecognizable. The rampant infection in the west had spread, and now it was all Leon could do to keep Claire and Sherry out of trouble.

Before, they could still safely make trips to the store. They could still go out, Sherry could still go to school. The world was still turning as it normally would have. But now? Leon was so thankful they had moved in when they had. He needed them close to him. He needed to know they were safe and loved and protected. Claire was starting to get a tiny slope of a bump and terror seized Leon’s throat as he pictured it. Jill had been right. RC was no place to bring a baby into. He had been a fool, they had to get out. Now.

Leon was out scavenging for food. It had been a day or two since Claire had eaten, and that wasn’t okay. It wasn’t okay that any of them were starving, but especially not their unborn baby. Claire was insistent that any food found was given to Sherry first. The two of them were still adamant that Raccoon City could be saved, but he wasn’t so sure anymore. Not as he slunk through the darkness, unable to see an inch in front of his face. Not as he heard the all too familiar sound of flesh being torn from bone in the distance.

His hands trailed the wall beside him for a long while as he aimlessly wandered, silently praying trouble didn’t find him before a streetlight did. Thankfully, the light of a neon sign finally brightened the distance ahead of him, and he cocked and loaded his shotgun before sprinting toward the donut shop on Jill’s side of town. He wasn’t far from her apartment, though he knew it didn’t exist anymore. Umbrella had made sure of that. He glanced around briefly, though he supposed it wasn’t like anyone was going to arrest him as he jimmied the lock on the shop and forced his way inside. This…wasn’t the balanced meal any of them needed, but it was something to put in their bellies at the very least. “I am so sorry.” He didn’t know who owned the place, but he slapped a 50 on the table before cramming a whole row of the pastries into his bag. He prayed the shop owner would find the money. This always felt so dirty to him.

Leon knew the shop was likely abandoned, but the guilt ate at him anyway. It wasn’t quite as bad, however, as the pit in his stomach that ached with the thought that he couldn’t provide for his family. Claire had only been his for a little over a month, and he was already letting her down. He could hear his ex in his head, her words about how worthless he was rattling his brain. She was right; Claire deserved better than him. But…right now they were all each other had, and he loved her. That love would have to be enough, right?

He was torn from these thoughts as the gnashing of meat and blood between something’s jaws got louder, and he turned to make a run for it when a shrill gurgle pierced his ears and a cold sticky body slammed against his own. The putrid smell of rot and decay that never got any easier with time to endure flooded his senses, and a female zombie looked down at him as she struggled to lunge for his neck. He held her at arm’s length as best he could and pressed the barrel of his gun into her stomach. “Sorry, sister. Only one woman has permission to nibble.”

Leon pulled the trigger, and a hole was blown clean through her. She shrieked and rolled off him, though he knew better than to assume she was dead. He hopped to his feet and fired several rounds into her skull, until there was nothing left but exposed organs. He bent to grab the bag of food he’d dropped, when another one jerked him backward by his uniform collar. “Goddamn it!”

He couldn’t shoot from that angle, and his heart stuttered against his ribcage as he fought to release himself from the corpses’ iron grip. _Please._ He prayed. _Not today. I have to be there for my child. I have to be there for Claire. Please._ He screwed his eyes closed and braced himself for a bite as he felt foul smelling saliva drip onto his shoulder. This was it. He’d ruined their lives. He’d failed.

The bite never came, and Leon’s body tensed as a shot rang out in the darkness. The zombie clattered to the floor and he scrambled to collect his things and back toward to door to get a good look at his rescuer. “Not scouring the area before you made your move was a rookie mistake. You know better than that, Kennedy. Got a death wish?”

It was Jill. Leon breathed a sigh of relief. This was their first-time meeting in person, but he knew her face. Her suspension had been all over the news. “I…I’m an idiot, I know. Thanks for the save. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“Is that what you want me to tell Claire at your funeral? Sorry you have to raise that shitheads’ kid on your own, he wasn’t thinking straight.” Ouch. She was a lot brasher than he’d imagined. Leon flinched, but he didn’t say anything as her companion piped up at her side.

“Hey, don’t you think you’re being a little harsh, Supercop?”

Leon was grateful, and he nodded at the man. “Who’re you?”

“Oh, sorry.” He offered a charming smile and extended his hand. “Name’s Carlos. UBCS and currently Jill’s unwelcome tag-along.” He seemed a lot more friendly than she was, and there seemed to be a tension there that he couldn’t put his finger on.

A hopeful smile lit Leon’s eyes. “UBCS? Is that a branch of the police force?” Carlos laughed a little, and Jill was waiting for Leon to get upset. He wasn’t going to expect Carlos’s answer. She sure as hell hadn’t.

“Nah. It’s a branch of Umbrella, and before you say anything, yeah, I know they’re why we are in this mess, and no, I don’t agree with it.”

Leon’s face scrunched, as Jill knew it would. “And you’re working for those monsters anyway?” Carlos sighed and Jill stepped in front of him protectively. She was the only person, in so far as she was concerned, that was allowed to smart off to Carlos.

“He’s doing his damned best to get the remaining citizens out of the city. That’s more than you’re doing.” Her tone was razor sharp, and it didn’t take Leon long to decide he didn’t care for it. He had two beautiful girls waiting on him back home and dinner was already coming late.

A response to that would have been a waist of his breath, and he turned to walk out with his loot before Jill grabbed for his shoulder. “Listen…I’m…I’m sorry. Carlos and I were actually out here looking for you, believe it or not. We were on our way to your apartment.”

That certainly piqued his interest. Chris must have given her their address. He didn’t appreciate it. They had enough going on in their lives without Chris sending his friends to check in on them. Especially when he knew said friends were being hunted. “My children have to eat. You’ll have to excuse me.”

“We’re only here to help.” Carlos reminded him gently. “Those babies need out of his city as much as anyone. That’s what I do, that’s my job. We have some information you and Claire both need to hear…if you’ll have us.”

Leon respected what Carlos was trying to do, but he felt weird inviting Umbrella into their home without running it by Claire. He shot Jill a hard look and her deep blue eyes bore back into his own like they were made of pure fire. “Can I trust you?”

“Chris is my friend, I want to do right by his little sister. I’m not giving you a choice. Trust me or don’t.”

The trek back to the apartment was awkward and Leon was more than grateful when he caught a glimpse of Claire pacing on their back porch. She looked weak, she was paler than she should have been, but her whole face lit as she caught his gaze. “LEON!” He wished she wouldn’t run, but she did, and his heart could have burst as her body collided with his own. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he spun her around before planting a firm kiss to her lips.

“Are you two okay?” Leon nuzzled his face into her neck and he pressed both hands lovingly to her slightly curved middle.

Claire tried and failed not to cry, and she sniffled as she wiped some dirt from the bridge of Leon’s nose. “We’re fine. Sherry is worried sick, next time I’m coming with you.” There was a hard resolve in her eyes, but he knew she knew why he couldn’t let her do that. It was killing her to sit still, but he needed her to be safe.

“Baby.” Was all he said as he rest his forehead against hers. _I love you too much to let you do that._ He wanted to say it so badly. He opened his mouth, but he thought better of it as Jill cleared her throat from behind him.

Claire looked both she and Carlos up and down for a moment curiously and she raised her eyebrows at Leon. “Wow. Where did you run into Jill Valentine and Mr. Stud Muffin over here?”

Jill knew Carlos was eating that up and she rolled her eyes. “We saved your idiot from becoming someone’s dinner. I figured we should return him. May we come in?”

Leon was mentally cursing her for opening her mouth. Claire worried about him enough as it was, she didn’t need another reason to fret. “O-Of course.” Claire opened the door for them, and she tightened her grip on her boyfriend. She was _definitely_ going with him next time, whether he liked it or not.

“Daddy!” Sherry hopped up and ran to Leon, coiling her arms around his middle and squeezing him with everything she had. She fidgeted nervously and her eyes were glued to the floor as she held him there. “I-I’m sorry, Leon, that just c-came out…I…”

Leon’s whole heart shattered inside his chest. He _knew_ she’d been doing a little too well with the passing of her parents, and it was starting to show. He thought it was sweet, that she would see him that way, and he ruffled her blonde hair as his arms coiled around her. “You can call me that, if you want to. I don’t mind.”

“R-Really?” She looked up at him with wide, sad eyes and he pressed a soft kiss into her hair.

“Really.” She twirled around in his arms to look at Claire, as if asking for permission. She beamed at the little girl.

“You don’t have to ask me, you can call me whatever you like.” She affirmed gently. Sherry looked like she was about to cry, but she didn’t have the time to say much else as Jill and Carlos made themselves at home. They clearly had an agenda, and Leon’s eyes were narrowed as he watched them. This was his family and his home. If it came down to it, he wouldn’t hesitate to protect them. Jill ought to know that.

“What are you doing here?” 


	5. Chapter 5

Even Carlos looked a little small, sinking into the giant fluff cushions of Leon’s couch. It was the most expensive piece of furniture he had to his name. Everything else in the apartment was…well, there was barely anything else in it. Most of the items that littered the floor were Claire’s and over half of those were still in boxes. The apartment didn’t look like they had much of an attachment to it. That was good, because they needed to leave it behind. Jill Valentine wasn’t giving them an option.

STARS may have been disbanded now, but in its prime it had been the pride of the force. The Alpha Team was a tight knit group, and to answer Carlos’s question from earlier… _that_ was what Chris was to Jill. Chris was what was left of an easier time. Chris was her friend. They had worked their way up from nothing together at the academy, only to end up on the same STARS unit when they graduated. No matter how far from her he went, he would always be her best friend. If he had asked her to look out for his little sister, she sure as hell would.

Jill sighed as she drank the couple in. Sherry was wedged between them and they really did look like a little family. She was almost jealous. She had never had anything like that. Claire had her arms wrapped around Sherry and Leon was holding Claire from behind. If she hadn’t known better, Jill would have thought they were the picture of the American dream. One and a half kids, all they were missing was the dog. She sighed. The very last thing she wanted to see, was something this pure get torn apart by Umbrella. “I have bad news.” She admitted slowly.

Leon tensed immediately. If Jill had come all the way to their apartment to deliver bad news, it had to have been _terrible_. He prayed nothing bad had happened to Chris. Claire really loved him, and she was under too much stress right now as it was. He was constantly afraid for their baby. If she lost it he…he didn’t know if he could survive it. “What’s going on? I mean…outside of the usual.”

Jill rolled her eyes. “The usual is exactly the problem. Listen, Chris is in a bit of a bind. I was hoping Nemesis would be so busy chasing after me that it wouldn’t go after him, but…I was wrong. Last I heard he was alive but…after I told him Brad had been the only member of STARS left, and he passed away, Chris didn’t really have a reason to stick around beyond me. He wants to give them all a burial, that’s what he came back for, putting his friends to rest. But he can’t do that with Umbrella on his tail. He’s hiding. I don’t know where. But that’s not really the important part either.”

Claire nearly leapt from her own skin and her face was redder than her hair. Leon could feel the anger burning off of her, and he knew Jill had inadvertently hurt her feelings. Chris was her brother. She could try a little tact. “Not really important?! Where the fuck is my brother?!” Leon kneaded her shoulder’s tenderly in an attempt at soothing her, and it was Carlos who responded.

“Whoa, let’s all take a breather, alright? Chris is a big boy, he can handle himself. You know that. What’s important is that he left a message for you both before he fell off the grid. He’s still in RC, I don’t think he’ll leave until he gets to the bottom of what happened to the police force. The last thing he uncovered however was…unsettling.” Carlos ran his fingers through his thick curls and sighed. He glanced back at Jill. He didn’t really want to be the one to say it. They all knew Leon wanted to save the people here, but the prognosis was _bad_.

Jill blew a gust of air from her nose and shot her partner a glare. _Leave it to me. Thanks, pal._ “Chris got intel from some friends we have inside the government that used to work at the station back when we were young recruits. Raccoon City currently has the highest rate of infection in the mid-west…” She bit her lip and Carlos braved sliding a hand onto her knee. To his surprise, she didn’t bat it away.

“They plan to nuke RC by Christmas if they aren’t presented with a vaccine. They claim it’s the only way to stop the spread.” That wasn’t a delicate way of putting it by any means, but they weren’t in a delicate situation. “Chris want’s you out of here while we search for the remainder of the vaccine. He doesn’t want you anywhere near this shithole when it blows.”

Claire’s throat felt like it was closing, and she couldn’t look at Jill as she turned to look at her boyfriend. Their eyes locked and Leon looked just as broken and confused as she did. She hated it. “T-That’s in two weeks.”

Jill glanced down at her boots and chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment. Her next question was awkward at best and invasive at worst, but it was important. “How far along will you be on Christmas eve?” She asked gently.

Why did that matter? Claire didn’t like the question, but she saw no reason not to answer. “Fourteen weeks and three days.”

“Nearly fifteen weeks. That’s almost halfway.” Jill mused. “We need to move quickly then. The longer it takes us to get you out the less time you have to prepare for this baby’s arrival.”

_Almost halfway?!_ It was Leon’s turn to feel like his throat was closing. How had that happened so quickly? They’d only known she was pregnant a handful of weeks. Surely it was guess work, Claire was counting from the night they’d made love…but five weeks from halfway sounded like a lot. Time was ticking by a lot quicker than he was comfortable with. They had nothing bought for this baby. They barely had a dime to their name. Leon wasn’t getting paid, there was no police chief to pay him. They couldn’t keep going on like this, that much was true.

Sherry’s voice sounded so small, but it cut through the tense atmosphere like a knife. “Are we going to die?” Claire’s grip on her tightened and she shook her head.

“We didn’t survive everything we’ve been through together just to lay down and die, Sher. Leon and I are going to protect you.” Even as she spoke, however, there was an intense pit of fear gnawing at her insides. How would they protect the children from a bomb strike? Two weeks wasn’t enough time. Two weeks was nothing, and she was sure that was two full weeks _if_ the government was feeling gracious.

“Not here.” Jill affirmed. “You _cannot_ stay here, or all of you will die. Bun in the oven included. None of us are impervious to explosions last time I checked.”

Leon’s mind was made up. Maybe they saved RC by getting the vaccine and maybe they didn’t, but either way Jill was right. He had to get his shit together or his family was going to starve. There was no home for them here. He needed to find another police station in another town, he needed to find a house, a _real_ house, and fill it with a crib and diapers and whatever else this baby was going to need. He knew this…and yet, there as a deep pull inside of him that begged him to fix this on his way out. He wasn’t the type to leave something on fire. He wanted to help people so badly. “Fine. We’ll move…but I have one condition.”

Jill looked annoyed, but Carlos’s hand crept from her knee to her thigh and she was too distracted by the heat his touch left in its wake to say much as he chuckled at Leon. “Shoot.”

Leon looked at Claire for a long moment, and then at Sherry. He’d made them a promise when they’d first escaped the NEST. He promised that if this wasn’t over, they’d put a stop to it, whatever it took, as long as they stuck together. It was dangerous, and maybe pointless in the grand scheme of things. Raccoon City wouldn’t be their home for much longer. But that wasn’t what mattered. It was someone’s home. There were still innocent people in the city, no matter how many Carlos had managed to smuggle out. They didn’t have any right to leave them behind and move on with their lives when they had to ability to fight this. He knew Claire would agree. “We’re going with you to recover the vaccine. We grab it, give it to our government, and then I promise, Claire and I will settle down on a farm or something and have a baby in a cabbage patch, okay?”

Claire had to let out a snort at that, but she agreed with him whole heartedly. “You’re damn right we’re going with them. And we’re saving Chris along the way, too.” Claire always burned so fiercely, and Leon was deeply in love with the intense fire that flickered behind those steel eyes. He squeezed her hand.

Carlos’s knit his brow and exchanged a frantic look with Jill. Claire was pushing four months pregnant. This was insanity. “Do you have any idea how dangerous—”

“I do.” Leon replied curtly. “I know exactly how dangerous it is, and I couldn’t live with myself if I saved my own family and left everyone else’s to rot. My children aren’t the only one’s at risk, sir. I’ve seen a lot of heartache since I’ve been here, and I’ve seen more than one father put down his infected child. No more.” His voice was tight with raw emotion and there was an anger bubbling in his chest that took him by surprise. He loved children. The image of Kendo taking his little girl out behind his shop to put a bullet between her eyes would haunt him for the rest of his life. These people needed a miracle. Not one more baby would die on his watch. If there was a cure to be found, they were finding and dispersing it.

Neither Claire nor Sherry needed any coaxing. They had all lived that night together. They knew. Sherry looked about the apartment for a moment before she nodded her head. There was a determination behind her eyes that was reminiscent of Claire, and Carlos was under the impression she was her biological child. She had learned so much from her in a short period of time. No one had ever spent time with Sherry before now. Claire’s mannerisms were becoming her own. “Daddy’s right. I’ll go pack my things.”

There wasn’t much at all to pack, but no one moved to stop her as everyone settled into an uncomfortable silence. Claire and Leon both felt like they were being judged for their choices, but this was their life and their baby. They didn’t feel that they had any right bringing a life into the world if they wouldn’t rally for the lives that already existed. The citizens of RC didn’t ask for any of this, and it shouldn’t be anyone’s call to make whether they lived or died.

Jill didn’t agree with them, but she respected that it wasn’t her call to make and she sighed. “Alright then, Rookie. If you’re so sure. Meet us outside of the subway station at zero eight hundred hours. Pack your shit. Be there.” She tore herself from the couch and tugged Carlos up with her, marching out the back door without another word. Carlos turned back to shoot them a goofy smile and to wave, and they disappeared into the night shortly after.

Everything was happening too fast to process. This baby was coming and so was certain death. Those two things didn’t belong together, and it churned Leon’s stomach. He had to be careful from here on out. Claire and Sherry were his entire world now. There would be no existing without them. They needed to get in, get the vaccine, and get out. Umbrella wouldn’t have a leg to stand on by the time he was finished with them, that was a promise. His child would grow up in a world that was free of the T and G-Virus’s, even if it killed him.


	6. Chapter 6

Leon couldn’t sleep. Knowing that two clocks were ticking down—one being the timer on his bun in the oven, and the other being a literal bomb waiting to explode—had completely fried his nerves. What little his small family owned was packed and ready to go, and now they spent their final night together on Leon’s beat up mattress. Sherry had rolled to the edge of the mattress and squished Claire firmly against her boyfriend, who certainly wasn’t complaining. He coiled his arms around her tightly and whispered against the shell of her ear. “Please don’t go.”

There was a sense of impending doom crushing his chest. This was the time of year he’d lost his parents. If he lost any of the people sleeping soundly in his arms in that moment, he was deciding not to live anymore. He couldn’t do it. This was his second chance. He couldn’t tell if he was squandering it—agreeing to follow Jill and Carlos into Umbrella for the vaccine. He didn’t feel like there was any other choice. The baby deserved to have a shot at a normal life.

He wanted to work at the station and come home at five every day to Claire playing on the floor with the baby. He wanted a dog barking as he pulled into the driveway. He wanted Sherry running to greet him at the door after she got home from school every afternoon. All of these things were unattainable with the world in the state that it was. The world Umbrella was selling wasn’t one worth living in. Claire’s eyes creaked open and she pressed a small kiss to the crook of his neck. “Why would I ever go?”

He hadn’t expected her to hear him, but her answer warmed his heart all the same. “Claire. I want you to know something, before we go. Before anything happens outside of our control.” He didn’t care anymore how long it had been. He needed her to know, in case he didn’t make it out of this ordeal in one piece. His hands fumbled in the darkness for her belly and he rubbed small comforting circles along the small bump. “I love you.” He swallowed the hard lump forming in his throat. “I am  _ in  _ love with you.”

Claire hadn’t expected Leon to be the first to say it by any stretch of the imagination. Her mouth went dry and she wished she could see his face better as she pulled his head toward her lips. “Oh, Leon.” Her tongue slipped inside his mouth with ease and she let out a small moan as he tenderly nibbled on her bottom lip. “I love you more.”

Leon growled lightly and tugged on her auburn ponytail as he threaded his fingers through her hair. “That’s not possible.” He wanted Claire to rest, but suddenly he was wide awake and he found himself unable to keep his hands off her. The stress that flooded his body was spirit breaking, and yet, he found every reason to push forward in the gentleness of her touch. Of her love. It was a half-whine when spoke again, nose tenderly pressed against her own. “You should get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day for us.”

Claire snorted. “You know me. I’m always up for a little adventure.” Leon himself was  _ looking  _ like an adventure, and Claire practically purred as she wrapped her legs around his body. “Couch. Please?” She whispered against the shell of his ear.

Leon swore under his breath as a slow ache crept down his thighs and he knew there was no way in hell he could say no to that. Being attracted to Claire is what had gotten him here. Those pouty lips, dark grey eyes, beautiful auburn curls. Claire Redfield was a dangerous woman. He smirked. “If you’re sure.” He gripped her hips and rolled off the mattress, hoisting her up to wrap her legs all the way around him as he pushed himself to his feet. He was careful not the shake the bed. They last thing they needed to do was wake Sherry.

It was a short walk from their bedroom into the living room, but Claire didn’t waste any precious time. Her mouth connected with his jaw as he carried her and she bit and nipped along his chin with a fervor that spread the heat building inside of Leon like a wildfire. He wanted to fling her over the side the couch, but his child was big enough now to be seen, and he wasn’t taking any chances. He laid her down gently and pressed a slobbery kiss to her tummy. Claire giggled and very softly tapped her knee against his face. “Don’t kill the mood!”

She could see Leon’s beautiful smirk even in the darkness and he tugged his shirt off over his head to wipe away the trail of saliva he’d left on her little belly. “I have to love on my unborn baby, too.” He bit at the tender flesh of her knee and spread her legs, though he stared at her long and hard for a moment before he went any further. Leon had always been a flirt. No matter who he was with, the opposite sex attracted him like a moth to flame, and he often couldn’t help but have wandering eyes. But this…this was different. Being with Claire…for the first time in his life his heart wasn’t constantly searching for other things. She was all he wanted. She was his one, he could feel it.

“What are you staring at?” She whispered, insecurity creeping into her voice. Part of her was afraid he wouldn’t want her like this. She was becoming round with his child, she was stretching. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

Leon’s eyes were wide, as if he were in complete and total awe of her. His light brown hair framed his face and was flopped slightly over one eye as he smiled down at her. Claire thought it was so handsome. She loved the way he cut his hair. “You. I’ve never…you’re so beautiful.”

“Come here.” Claire pulled him down with her legs and he grunted in surprise before letting out a soft chuckle and crushing his lips against her own. He wanted to be with this woman for the rest of his life. He was sure of it. Suddenly, he wasn’t as worried about what the future would hold. As long as Claire was by his side, there was nothing he couldn’t do. He would gladly go to hell and back to make sure he gave her the life he thought she deserved.

Meanwhile, Carlos was struggling to keep up with Jill as they maneuvered their way through the city and back to their base in the subway. He was sure she was angry; her body language was tight and fidgety as she zig zagged her way through the fire-licked back alleys. She was moving too quickly, and either she had the best goddamn autopilot he had ever seen, or she wasn’t paying attention. Things were beginning to look unfamiliar, and Carlos was sure they were headed in the wrong direction.

“Y’know, for all your talk of Leon making rookie mistakes,” He panted. “You’re pretty decent at making them yourself.”

That did it. Jill finally slowed her pace and she whipped around to glare at Carlos. “No one asked you to follow me. I told you to head back to base. It’s late.” Carlos blinked at her and his dark eyebrows furrowed as he gestured broadly at their surroundings.

“No, ma’am. You’ve said absolutely zero words to me since we left Leon’s, and now we’re lost.” He looked concerned for her, and his big brown doe eyes widened as he reached for her hand.

Jill flinched away from his touch and her jaw set rigidly as she stared him down. “Well I meant to tell you to leave,” She snapped. “So pretend that I did and head back to base.”

Carlos was a pretty even-tempered guy, but even he had his limits. Jill was stubborn and hardheaded, and he couldn’t lie, he loved those aspects of her personality. But sometimes she took the tough guy act a little too far, and his jet-black curls bounced as he shook his head at her. Sometimes she really disappointed him. “You know what…fine. I won’t wait up, I’m going to bed.”

She was going to let him walk away, but guilt twisted in her gut. Jill sighed and closed her eyes, counting to ten in the hopes that her anger would simmer down. Carlos had nothing to do with why she was angry. She didn’t have any right to take it out on him. “I…wait. Please? I’m sorry.”

Carlos fully intended to keep walking, maybe it would have taught her a lesson, but he thought better of it. He really liked her, there was just something about her. There had been from the beginning. Jill Valentine was the strongest person he’d ever known. Something more than the usual was bothering her. He could see it in her eyes. “It’s…don’t worry about it.” 

Jill pointed her flashlight toward the damp walkway and nodded her head in the direction she was headed. “I’m not lost. You…can come see, if you want.” Her voice was small, apologetic even, and Carlos couldn’t resist it. He was curious, and it made him happier than he’d care to admit that she couldn’t seem to take him being frustrated with her. Maybe that meant she liked him after all? He was invested in finding out.

They walked in silence for a while, and Carlos was quietly taking in their surroundings. Raccoon City was an eerie place to venture at night, even before the outbreak. The crime rate in the city was high with the good for nothing police force being as dirty and corrupt as it was, something that Leon hadn’t been around long enough to grasp yet. The RPD knew about a lot of terrible things that had been happening on these streets for years, and it came as no surprise to anyone who had lived there long enough, that Chief of Police Brian Irons had allowed Umbrella to manufacture this virus for no other purpose than to cure his own  _ boredom. _

There was the sound of rushing water in the distance and the air grew colder as they walked further and further from the heart of the city. “Be careful.” Jill murmured, clearing the way of cobwebs as they stepped further into a clearing just outside the city limits. “Giant spiders have a habit of hanging around here.”

Carlos swallowed hard. “And you…what, ride majestic giant spiders into glorious battle in your free time?” He was joking, obviously, but there was a nervous pitch to his voice that didn’t go unnoticed by Jill. She smirked.

“Afraid of spiders, Carlos?”

“N-No.” He lied, folding his arms tightly across his muscular chest. “Just wondering where the hell we’re wandering off to.”

Jill rolled her eyes. He was about to find out if he’d quit his whining. The water was getting louder, and before Carlos knew it, a waterfall had come into view. It was dead silent save for the crashing of the water against the rocks below and Jill closed her eyes and just...stood there. She took several deep breaths before opening her eyes again, but she never once turned back to look at him as she spoke. “I’ve been coming here to collect my thoughts for as long as I can remember. It was something I used to do with my mother.” 

“Is she--”

“No.” Jill answered softly. “She’s not gone. I’m...I haven’t been through what Chris and Claire have; I have a family, a beautiful one. They live further upstate now.” She chewed on her lip for a moment before she continued. “I was an army brat. Joined the force to make my old man proud. And he is, he’s very proud of me. I guess I. ..I feel protective of Chris’s sister for that reason? He and I have been best friend’s for years, I watched her grow up. She doesn’t have what I have. Chris is all she’s got and I. ..I don’t want to see her throw her life away because she craves the family she missed out on.”

_ Oh. That’s what had gotten under her skin.  _ Chris must have been more like a brother to her than a prospective love interest, and Carlos felt like an asshole for having been jealous. “You don’t approve of Leon?”

Jill sniffled a little and shrugged her shoulders, gaze glued to the crystal-clear water, as if she were mesmerized. “Does it matter, at this point?”

Carlos inched closer to her and took a chance by putting his hand on her shoulder. She didn’t ask him to stop. “It matters to me.” He admitted softly.


	7. Chapter 7

The water sprayed cool against their tired faces and Jill hummed to herself, completely lost in the moment. Carlos’s hand felt like it was burning through her shoulder, and his words tore through her just as violently. Jill was exhausted. She could feel her taciturn outer shell cracking and she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself. She turned to look at him, and her hazel eyes completely disarmed him. Sometimes they looked blue, other times they were more green or brown. They were different every time he looked at her, and it never ceased to amaze him.

In that moment, they appeared the prettiest shade of green against the backdrop of the waterfall and Carlos reached to gingerly brush a strand of brunette hair behind her ear. She slapped his hand away, and he expected as much, but what he didn’t expect was for her to hold on to it. She examined it for a moment, as if it were some foreign concept, before she threaded his fingers between his own. He swallowed, struggling to maintain his natural charm. “You’ve got beautiful…” He meant to compliment her eyes, but he couldn’t think. “…everything.”

His voice was husky, and Jill gnawed on her bottom lip with no small amount of anxiety. She’d spent her whole life so focused on whatever the next mission was. She had never really given romance much an opportunity to present itself. Was that what this was, romance? She rolled her eyes inwardly. What a frivolous thing for her to be thinking about in the middle of a biochemical war. For the first time in her life she didn’t have any answers, and it frightened her. “Carlos.”

Jill didn’t know what else to say, but to him, his name on her lips was enough. He was expecting to get his lights punched out, but he didn’t care. He gripped her hand and tugged her toward him, resting his other hand on her hips as he molded his lips against the gentle curve of her own. No one was more surprised than Jill was herself when she flicked her tongue against his mouth, asking permission for access. Carlos’s heart stuttered in his chest and he tightened his hold on her as he opened up to greet her. Their tongues dances through the uncharted territory, and Carlos’s excited fingers tore at his Umbrella uniform. “Supercop.”

Jill laughed, like _genuinely_ laughed, and Carlos didn’t think he’d ever heard it before. It was a miracle and it was beautiful. She shoved him back a little, eyes raking over his tight black t-shirt as his vest dropped to the ground. Carlos was so _attractive,_ it really wasn’t fair. A small smirk curled at the corner of her mouth and she nodded toward the falls. “Swim with me?” She didn’t wait for a response, pulling her tank and bra off with one swoop and wiggling out of her jeans.

The squeak that floated from Carlos broke down every wall Jill had, and she burst into laughter as she dived into the surprisingly warm water. Carlos didn’t need to be asked twice, and he jerked his shirt off over his head with a speed he hadn’t exhibited in years. He fumbled out of his pants and fell into the water after her, following her as she glided under the waterfall and came out on the other side. Carlos was a great swimmer and it didn’t take him long to catch up. He playfully pulled Jill under the water and she splashed him in the face. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry!”

Jill had swam herself against the cavern wall and Carlos had her cornered. His curls were stuck to his face and his hair was longer wet than it was dry, brushing his shoulders as he pushed it out of his eyes. She dropped her gaze from his eyes to his lips and bit her cheek. “Your…everything is beautiful, too.”

His smile was warm and inviting and he wiggles his eyebrows at her in the way he knew she hated. “I knew you’d fall for me eventually.” Carlos said, trying and failing to hide a smug smile. He was _definitely_ getting smacked for that one. Jill took a swing at his head and he sucked in a gust of air before disappearing beneath the waters surface.

“Don’t push your luck.” Even as she said it, electricity shot through Jill’s thighs as Carlos slid up her body to capture her lips as he reemerged. She moaned into the kiss and something primal took over. Carlos hissed into her mouth as her hands found their way around his manhood and squeezed. “How much do you like me?”

How was that even a question? Carlos rolled his eyes. “For such a badass, you can be so stupid.” He hoisted her up and gripped her hips hard as she wrapped her entire body around his own. “I hope this answers your question.” Carlos muttered against her lips, kissing her with a passion she’d never experienced before. He trailed love bites down her neck and nuzzled her chest tenderly as she wove her fingers tightly in his curls.

Back within city limits, Claire and Leon had passed out on the couch. They had laid like that for longer than they meant to, and they were both thankful to have wrapped themselves in a blanket burrito as they heard Sherry stirring from the bedroom. “Mom? Where are my clothes?”

Leon was dead to the world and Claire was barely awake herself as she muttered into the blanket. “On the kitchen table, baby.” She took a peek at her phone and groaned inwardly at the time. She knew they were on a time crunch, but it seemed like Jill wanted them to meet at the ass-crack of dawn.

Sherry came bolting from the back bedroom and grabbed the pink Made in Heaven jacket that had once belonged to Claire and her navy shorts. The little girl smiled brightly at Claire and giggled at the string of drool that was hanging from Leon’s mouth. “I guess we ought to be waking him, huh? That lady said to meet at the station at zero eight hundred hours…and it’s already passed seven.”

This was already shaping up to be a bad idea. Claire wiped the sleep from her eyes and poked Leon under his arms to get his attention. He was ticklish everywhere, she had learned that making love to him _real_ quick, and Leon’s body jerked away from her touch as he toppled halfway off the couch. “What the hell?!”

“It’s time to be up!” Sherry said with a small giggle as Claire tugged her boyfriend upright and planted a small kiss to his cheek. “I think we’ll have to leave the furniture…I’m sorry, Daddy. But I packed up all your clothes into a small bag so we could carry it with us! I know we probably can’t come back here.” There was a hint of sadness to her voice. It wasn’t what most people would consider a home, sparse as it was, but it was the first real one Sherry had ever known.

Leon slid off the couch and opened his arms up without a moments more thought. “Come here, baby.” Sherry ran to give him a hug and he pressed a tender kiss into her hairline. “Everything is going to be okay. We’re going to get the vaccine and then we’ll move far, far away from here, and then pretty soon you’ll have a brother or sister to play with. That sound okay?” Sherry nodded with a bright smile, and Leon wished with all his heart that he had her optimism. Claire seemed to have that gift too. They were his rays of light that never seemed to dampen. It was a characteristic he prayed was passed along to their child. He didn’t want his baby inheriting anything from him, least of all his depression. “That’s my girl.”

The small family rushed to dress and gather what they could carry of their belongings, and they barely managed to make it inside the subway terminal with a minute to spare. They explored around the trains for a while in the dark before they ran into what looked like UBCS’s makeshift base of operations. Several men in uniform pulled guns on them, and Leon stepped in front of both girls before grabbing his shotgun from his back. “We aren’t looking for trouble. Tell us where Carlos and Jill are, and we’ll be on our way.”

The operatives exchanged shifty glances, and Leon pulled his lips back in a snarl as one of them stepped forward. He cocked his shotgun, but the man lifted his hands up in surrender. “Hey now, we don’t want none of that. If you’re looking for Jill, I’m sure I can help. We’re close.” This one seemed friendly, his eyes were kinder than the older looking men who glared at the couple even after their coworker began speaking. “My name is Barry. Why don’t you come on back and talk to Tyrell? If anyone knows where Carlos is, it would be him. We haven’t seen either one of them since late yesterday evening.”

_Excuse me?_ Jill had the audacity to bark orders at them, and they weren’t even there? That wasn’t going to fly. Leon put his gun away, but his face was bright red as they followed Barry through the subway system. He didn’t like being this close to Umbrella employees. Carlos seemed like a good man, but he wasn’t counting on every member of UBCS being the same way, and he didn’t appreciate being drug from his home in the early hours of the morning just to be left alone with a bunch of strangers with unknown motives.

Something was bothering Claire, and the longer she looked at Barry the more suspicious she became. His name and face looked too familiar for his relationship with Jill to have been a coincidence. She tried to remember how many members of Chris’s Alpha Team there had been in the beginning. Brad Vickers hadn’t been in the police station, though he’d stayed on board at RPD after STARS was disbanded, so she assumed he was dead. Albert Wesker was obviously dead, right? Jill had seen it with her own eyes back when the Mansion Incident had occurred, and Chris had corroborated that. But Barry…there had been a Barry too, hadn’t there?”

Leon reached behind him and gave Claire’s hand a gentle squeeze. “What are you thinking so hard about?” He whispered as his forehead puckered slightly with worry. She was never this quiet, ever, and he didn’t want her to think he was angry with her. It was Jill he was mad at. Sherry was being kind of quiet too, but that was usual for her. She was picking nervously at her fingernails and Leon put a loving hand on her shoulder. He wanted to love away all the anxiety her birth parents had forced on her.

What was she supposed to say when they were in earshot of the person she wanted to talk about? Claire managed a small smile and she brought his hand up to her lips to kiss. “I’ll tell you in a minute.” She squeezed him back, and he was at lease momentarily reassured that it wasn’t about him. He wanted her to be happy.

Barry wasn’t an idiot. ‘I’ll tell you in a minute’ obviously indicated that he wasn’t meant to be privy to the conversation she wanted to have, and he would have put money on it that she was starting to put two and two together. No sister of Chris Redfield was going to be stupid. “You’re wondering how I’m still alive, aren’t you? Or why I’m working for Umbrella?”

Leon was confused by the question, but Claire’s expression soured. That confirmed every fear she had and one hand wove protectively around her belly as the other gripped Sherry’s hand tightly. He _was_ that Barry. The Barry that had helped Wesker stab Jill in the back. “You better start talking then, Barry Burton. Right now.” She growled. 

**Author's Note:**

> Characters belong to Capcom.


End file.
